Environmental Impact and Ecosystem Services Provided by Oyster Aquaculture: Environmental Impact and Ecosystem Services Provided by Oyster Aquaculture Robert Rheault Bob@moonstoneoysters.com


Slide2: Source: FAO World


Shellfish Aquaculture (Like any Other Activity) has Environmental Impactsbut it also provides Valuable Ecosystem Services: Shellfish Aquaculture (Like any Other Activity) has Environmental Impacts but it also provides Valuable Ecosystem Services


What are some of the impacts?: What are some of the impacts? Impacts depend on scale and intensity At very high stocking levels you start to see Food depletion Slower shellfish growth Benthic impacts Buildup of organic material Shell waste Diversity impacts? Dredge Harvest impacts Similar to bullrakes


Slide5: Canadian Mussel Industry Findings (Crawford, Kaiser) Impact depends on: scale / hydrodynamics and biomass per acre


Too much of a good thing is almost always a bad thing: Too much of a good thing is almost always a bad thing Where is the line? High flow can bring lots of food, but areas with restricted flow can be depleted quickly Large vertical arrays allow for huge biomass loading Monitoring is the key Depth of the sediment redox zone measures organic loading Depletion of Chlorophyll easy to detect


Other Impacts : Other Impacts Introductions of Exotic Species A problem historically that we have dealt with through regulations and procedures Spread of Disease Biosecurity regulations ensure that seed are inspected prior to import Seed are typically imported at a very small size Growers highly motivated to minimize disease Regulations in place to minimize risk Risks similar to many other activities


Ecosystem Services from Oyster Culture: Ecosystem Services from Oyster Culture Nutrients are removed when oysters are harvested Oysters enhance bacterial denitrification Oysters enhance sedimentation rates and speed the sequestration of nutrients Carbon deposited in shell is sequestered for decades Filter feeding improves water clarity and increases light penetration which helps eelgrass Oysters and aquaculture gear provide habitat and support a diverse assemblage of juvenile fish Cultured oysters release larvae into the environment


Shellfish Filtration : Shellfish Filtration Reduces turbidity and bacterial counts Improves light penetration Stimulates bacterial denitrification and reduces anoxia Nitrogen contained in oyster tissue is removed from the system when shellfish are harvested. If the oysters are not harvested the nitrogen is released back into the water when the oysters decay.


Slide11: EELGRASS Essential Fish Habitat Growth is light limited Thallus is weakened by excess nitrogen Oyster populations can benefit eelgrass


Slide12: AQUACULTURE STRUCTURES PROVIDE HABITAT AND PROTECTION FOR LARVAL AND JUVENILE FISH AND INVERTEBRATES Improves the abundance and diversity of important marine species


Vertical Structure: Vertical Structure Firm substrate provides foundation for fouling which provides food and cover More than just a fish attracting or aggregating device Nooks and crannies provide refuge for juvenile fish Juvenile fish and crabs in turn provide food for larger predators Featureless mud is attractive to a limited number of species


Aquaculture structures: Aquaculture structures Kilpatrick et al. (2002) found more than 10X the abundance of fish and crustaceans in oyster gear vs. eelgrass beds Counted thousands of fish, lobster, crabs etc. Species diversity was similar Species richness was similar Evenness was lower in aquaculture gear because of hyperdominance of mudcrabs


Cages provide quality habitat: Cages provide quality habitat Tallman and Forrester (URI) – In press Found that oyster grow-out cages were similar to natural and constructed rocky reefs – both attract scup, cunner and tuatog Both provide good quality habitat for fishes typically associated with hard-bottom habitats. “Habitat restoration programs for these fishes should thus consider grow-out cages alongside other types of artificial reef.”


Slide17: A 7.6cm market-size oyster contains 0.52 g N and 0.16 g P The combined effect of US eastern oyster aquaculture harvest directly removes 357 metric tons of nitrogen and 110 metric tons of phosphorus from the marine environment each year


The harvest of about 3,750rapidly growing oysters will compensate for the nitrogenous wastes from one person leaching into the watershed.: The harvest of about 3,750 rapidly growing oysters will compensate for the nitrogenous wastes from one person leaching into the watershed.


Slide19: Each female oyster releases as many as 3-30 million eggs annually


Impacts of Eastern Oyster Farming: Impacts of Eastern Oyster Farming 357 metric tons of nitrogen removed 110 metric tons of phosphate removed hundreds of tons more nutrients are removed by burial or denitrification 51,559 tons of carbon sequestered in shell 1.7 x 10E15 larvae released each year 94 million cubic meters of water filtered daily thousands of acres of bottom are turned into high quality habitat


What does oyster culture do?: What does oyster culture do? Growers invest thousands in seed Water quality and light penetration improved Growout beds turned from barren silt to diverse habitat with vertical structure Habitat improved for juvenile fish and other critters Growers have great incentive to preserve water quality and monitor polluters


What else?: What else? Jobs on the water Help maintain the working waterfront Revenues for the suppliers to industry Foul weather gear, outboards, wire mesh, etc. Growers invest heavily in gear and equipment Product for our local shellfish dealers High product quality elevates prices Reduces our dependence on foreign imports


How much is too much?: How much is too much? Conflicts with other users will limit the area available for aquaculture Priority given to other users in Law Unlikely to permit large vertical arrays in low flow areas User conflicts will be more important than carrying capacity issues Speculation about potential impacts vs monitoring to observe real impacts


If User Conflicts are the Issue…: If User Conflicts are the Issue… By law productive fishing areas and navigational lanes are protected from leasing Recreational fishing is not impacted by the vast majority of leases Rod and reel fishermen are welcome on almost every lease In fact, fishing may be improved because some gear acts to attract larger predators and fish stocks benefit from habitat There may be some confusion about what is allowed where Boaters pass freely over most leases without danger Aesthetic concerns are an issue that we need to address


User Conflicts….: User Conflicts…. Conflicts with recreational and commercial shellfishing Prohibited from digging in areas that have less than the average density - deemed not commercially productive 1% of the ponds Fraction of a percent of the bay Compensated for this sacrifice by the ecosystem services of the shellfish farms